Evlogitaria of the Resurrection by Kurt Sander

-
These is a wonderful setting of the Evlogitaria by American composer Kurt Sander. And even better - it's in English with a score you can follow along. These verses, whose title comes from the word "Blessed" are interspersed with the refrain "Blessed are Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statutes." Over and over the text drives home the great surprise of the resurrection to the women at the tomb (known in Orthodox terminology as "the Myrrh-bearing Women."

While I never sang this arrangement (and wish I had), these verses were the highlight of the Paschal season for me. When we came to the Leave-Taking of Easter, I could hardly wait for another year to roll around.

Sander is a professor at Northern Kentucky University, composes, teaches, and lectures worldwide. You can find out more about him at his website and enjoy his music on YouTube. My own ensemble, Cantorae sang his setting of the Beatitudes, as well as his hymn to the Virgin. He is a light in the world of liturgical music!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Nywe Werk by Sean Doherty

-
Image
Here's a nice seasonal (OK, a little early) work by a Northern Irish composer. Sean Doherty (born 1987) is also a member of the New Dublin Voices. He has won numerous prizes and is getting a good amount of performance. Interesting note: his Ph.D. dissertation was "Solfaing: A History of Four-Syllable Solmization to the Present Day." I'm sure this would be a treat to read for all the shape-note singers out there with a scholarly bent.
Read more

Lovely Singing from an Ancient Country

-
Image
One of the first countries to become Christian, Armenia is a mystery to most of us. This recording done by John Graham at Geghard Monastery is more than beautiful.  It is a connection to a different place and time. Graham is a historical musicologist resident in Georgia (the country, not the state) who coordinates tours in this region. His website at  John Graham Tours  is rich with photos and commentary - and of course, massive amounts of music, both sacred and folk. I stumbled across his site several years ago. And now I'm saving my shekels, pennies, euros, pesos, etc. for a tour. In the meantime, take a look at these amazing countries and people. There is so much beauty in this world when we take our eyes off the sidewalk in front of us, isn't there?
Read more